If you’re reading this, you probably already know the basics of microdosing: what it is, how it works, how to get started, taking breaks and all that... You’ve probably also picked up that a big part of your success or failure in psychedelic microdosing comes down to how you do it.
Unlike taking a pharmaceutical, microdosing usually isn’t just a matter of popping a pill and boom: your headache or rash or whatever you’re trying to treat goes away. Most people won’t see the full benefits without doing at least some work.
This article gives you ten ideas to explore to decide how they might fit into your life and take the results of your microdosing to the next level.
Obligatory safety and legal disclaimer: like all health regimens, microdosing is best pursued under the watchful care of a health professional. Additionally, psilocybin mushrooms, LSD and other commonly used psychedelics are controlled and/or illegal in many countries and localities. This is not an endorsement of illegal or unsafe activities.
In brief:
- Stack to boost your results
- Time your microdose for maximum benefit
- Re-examine your diet
- Incorporate exercise
- Tailor dose size for your day
- Practice mindfulness and meditation
- Optimize your environment
- Change it up!
- Observe creative rituals
- Leverage community
1. Stack to boost your results
Stacking is the practice of combining microdoses with other supplements. It is a very popular tactic among experienced microdosers because it aims to amplify the benefits of microdosing by using complementary effects from various compounds.
The most famous form of microdose support stacking is the Stamets Stack. This is the practice of combining psilocybin with lion’s mane mushrooms and niacin. The (admittedly simplified version of) the rationale is that the lion’s mane can help promote neuroplasticity while the niacin opens up blood vessels, granting the microdose deeper access to the body. In short, the microdose clears the path, and the lion’s mane paves it.
This formula has been built upon and further refined in a variety of ways to optimize it even further, including the creation of specialized microdose support supplements.
Other common stacking combinations include:
- Nootropics like L-theanine. L-theanine is a natural cognitive enhancer that is also used to promote relaxation without drowsiness.
- Adaptogens like Rhodiola rosea and Ashwagandha. These are believed to help the body adapt to stress and maintain balance. When combined with microdoses, adaptogens can enhance resilience to stress and emotional stability.
- Methyl donors and Antioxidants like flavonoids, which can fuel neurotransmitter synthesis and prevent oxidative stress to brain cells.
- Other basic nutritional building blocks. Examples include omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain health and B vitamins, which are crucial for neurotransmitter function. Incorporating nutrients like these ensures the brain operates at peak efficiency.
By thoughtfully integrating stacking into a microdosing routine, users can make the most of their microdosing practice and potentially unlock new levels of cognitive and emotional enhancement. With all that said, each individual's response to supplements can vary, so it’s recommended to check in with a medical professional before you start–same as you would before embarking on any supplementation regime.
2. Time your microdose for maximum benefit
As will be a theme across this list, the very best timing for you is going to depend on a range of factors. There are general guidelines and principles to consider, but no firm rules.
Some of the key factors to consider are: the substance or substances being used, your personal reaction to them, meal times and your plans for the day.
The substance you’re using and how it works with your physiology is one of the most important factors to consider. Just to cover the two most common:
- Users generally describe LSD as having a more excitatory, energetic feel, suggesting earlier in the day as an optimal time.
- Psilocybin mushrooms are less clear. Some people find them energizing, but a lot of people describe feelings of drowsiness, especially during onset.
If you find that your medicine at your dosage gives you energy, early in the day could be a great time for you to take it. If it tends to have more of a relaxing effect, this may be a clue that it might serve you better taken later–maybe even before bed to send you off to sleep. What you don’t want is to fight your own natural circadian rhythm.
With or without food is another consideration for timing your microdose. Taking your dose with food normally slows the absorption rate, leading to a subtler, more steady onset of effects. Alternatively, taking it on an empty stomach will lead to quicker absorption and more pronounced effects. If a little kick is a feature, not a bug for you: dosing on an empty stomach might be the way to go.
A final factor to take into account is the potential interplay between your microdose and the timing of planned activity for that day. If you’re looking to augment your focus, boost creativity or enhance time in nature, taking a microdose about 30 minutes to an hour before starting can help.
3. Re-examine your diet
Diet is an interesting adjunct to microdosing. Most of the time, specific changes to eating habits aren't specifically mentioned in designing a microdose practice. However, in its fullest expression, microdosing is an integrated feature of an overall lifestyle. After all, common wisdom says that a healthy body supports a healthy mind.
Many people that microdose report a disinterest in the unhealthy habits in which they might previously have indulged. This can include overeating, eating processed foods, and abuse of substances like alcohol or tobacco. This shift can propel a virtuous circle where improved physical health and confidence supports mental and emotional wellbeing and vice versa.
Thoughtful consumption of food is a common tool used to support mindfulness and reinforce intention in many contexts across cultures. Examples range from fasting during Ramadan to no meat Fridays for Catholics during Lent to the use of dietas in traditional plant medicine. Clearly, cutting back on afternoon coffees when you’re microdosing is not quite the same, but introducing some discipline around what you put into your body can definitely have an influence on your mindset.
4. Incorporate exercise
Integrating physical exercise into a microdosing regimen amplifies the benefits of both practices. Exercise not only enhances physical health but also boosts mental clarity, emotional stability, and overall well-being, creating a synergistic effect with microdosing by triggering the production of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine.
Combining a microdose with a morning run or yoga session can lead to a profound sense of clarity and motivation, setting a positive tone for the rest of the day.
Different types of exercise can be tailored to specific goals within a microdosing regimen.
- Aerobic exercises, like running, cycling, or swimming, are great for boosting overall energy levels to reinforce the energizing effects of microdosing.
- Strength training contributes to physical resilience and mental discipline. The focus and concentration required can be enhanced by microdosing, leading to more effective and satisfying training sessions.
- Mind-body exercises, like yoga, are particularly good because they emphasize mindfulness, breath control, and body awareness, which line up with the introspective and meditative aspects of microdosing.
A by-product of regular physical activity is improved sleep quality, which reduces stress, and promotes overall mental health. These are crucial for maximizing your long-term benefits.
By strategically incorporating exercise into a microdosing regimen, many people achieve a balance of physical vitality and mental clarity, leading to a more holistic and enriched experience.
5. Tailor dose size for your day
Best practice for most microdosers (especially beginners) is to take a very consistent amount on a very consistent schedule, also known as following a protocol. However, once they fully understand their medicine and their own reaction, many advanced practitioners prefer to mindfully tailor their doses and schedules to their own needs on a given day.
It is important that you work to fully understand how doses in various circumstances affect your:
- mood
- energy levels
- productivity
- adverse reactions
Once you identify the patterns and optimal dosages you can start to experiment with modifying for your day. For example, on a day when you especially want to boost your creativity, you might find a slightly higher dose is more effective. On a day when you’re feeling more conservative and just want to focus or calm anxiety, a lower dose might be better.
Adjusting the frequency of doses is another potential aspect of personalizing your doses. As long as you’re not doing it so often you build a tolerance, you might even tactically insert an extra dose day into your schedule once in a while. Conversely, there may also be days when you’re just not feeling up to a dose at all. On days like that, there’s nothing wrong with giving yourself a breather.
6. Practice mindfulness and meditation
Incorporating mindfulness and meditation can also increase your cognitive and emotional benefits from microdosing. These practices cultivate a heightened state of awareness and presence, which can enhance the effects of microdosing, leading to deeper introspection, emotional stability, and cognitive clarity.
Mindfulness, the practice of maintaining a non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, complements microdosing by fostering a state of openness and receptivity. Heightened awareness helps users follow and observe their thoughts, emotions, and sensations more clearly, leading to a better understanding of the subtle shifts and lessons gained by microdosing.
Meditation is a specific mindfulness tool that can enhance the microdosing experience. The practice creates a supportive environment for the positive effects by:
- promoting relaxation
- reducing stress, and
- improving emotional regulation.
A regular meditation practice provides a container for processing and reflection, leading to better integration of lessons, long-term personal growth and improved mental well-being. Additionally, the calm and centered state achieved through meditation can mitigate any potential anxiety or overstimulation that might arise from microdosing.
7. Optimize your environment
One of the foundational concepts of working with psychedelics is the importance of “set and setting”. A well orchestrated environment (a big part of the “setting”) can significantly influence your mental state, productivity, and overall well-being while microdosing.
Begin by considering the physical aspects of your environment. For a lot of people, a clean, clutter-free space promotes mental clarity and reduces distractions. Incorporating elements of nature into your surroundings or actually immersing yourself in nature can boost mood and cognitive function. Indoors, comfortable furniture, including adjustable chairs and standing desks at work, can ensure physical comfort and support sustained focus.
Lighting is another easily overlooked element. Natural light is of course ideal. If that’s not available, consider the qualities of your indoor lighting choices. Warm lighting can create a calming atmosphere for relaxation and introspection, while brighter, cooler lighting can enhance alertness and productivity.
Soundscapes are another excellent tool. Research has shown that a well chosen soundtrack can increase the impact of your internal work. The right music can enhance relaxation and creativity, while more upbeat tracks might boost energy and focus. Spotify and YouTube are great places to look for relevant playlists curated by helpful contributors.
Lastly, remember not to neglect your digital environment. As a starting point, put away your phone–doom scrolling is unlikely to offer any benefit. If you’re microdosing for work, organize your digital workspace to minimize distractions and enhance productivity. You might also want to consider using apps and tools designed for focus and introspection.
8. Change it up!
One of the really unique things about microdosing is the diversity of psychedelic tools you might potentially use. If you feel like you’ve gained as much as you can for now with your current medicine and you have the access, you might consider changing it up. This shouldn't be approached lightly, but done well it can transform your practice.
People that aren’t familiar with it often think of microdosing as one thing. The practice itself is important, but the chosen chemical behind it can have a big influence on the way it works for you. Even just considering the big 2: psilocybin and LSD, a similar approach can lead to very different experiences.
Personal experiences vary, but psilocybin is generally associated with a grounded, often introspective experience that skews toward building empathy toward yourself and others. LSD is more often identified with energy and focus–sometimes to the point of bluntness.
…and that’s just the two most popular psychedelics. People report microdosing a variety of substances, ranging from ayahuasca to DMT to 2CB and other research chemicals. There are a lot of options available.
Another alternative is mixing and matching. Some people alternate substances between or even during cycles. For example, they might use LSD doses during the week to support focus at work, and then follow that with psilocybin on the weekend to calm any accumulated jitteriness and promote more introspective pursuits.
As with the rest of the list, it’s all about finding what’s right for you. It’s important to note that this includes educating yourself on the positives, negatives, and risks of whatever tool you’re considering–including the physical, mental and legal aspects.
9. Observe Creative Rituals
If you’re looking to enhance your creativity and innovation, integrating structured, intentional practices into your routine can help amplify the effects of microdosing.
For most people, creativity isn’t something you can just switch on. In a lot of ways slipping into a creative head-space is like running. You don’t just bolt from a standing start, and it comes more and more easily the more often you do it. Similarly, certain practices can prime the mind and body for creativity, especially with repetition.
Activities like journaling, drawing, playing music, or even coloring are good options. Done regularly, these routines can help the brain slip more easily into a creative state. Combined with microdosing, they can enhance focus, reduce mental barriers, and foster a state of flow where ideas emerge more freely and naturally.
You might also prime your creative impulses by engaging with content you find inspirational. Listening to music or reading something that speaks to you can help put you into a space where you can more easily tap into your creative side.
Creative rituals provide a structured, yet flexible way to enhance your benefits from microdosing in an enjoyable way. They help your creativity flourish in more meaningful and productive ways. Combining the power of microdosing with intentional creative practices can help you attain higher levels of innovation and artistic expression.
10. Leverage community
Human beings are wired for community. It’s the desire for better relationships that leads a lot of people to microdosing in the first place, and the practice itself can form common ground for building connection.
Being part of a supportive and knowledgeable community can provide benefits that are both practical and emotional.
In practical terms, engaging with your local psychedelic society or a relevant online forum can give you access to a wealth of shared knowledge and experiences. You can exchange tips, techniques, and insights to help refine your practice based on others’ experiences. This collective wisdom can be valuable for users of all experience levels.
In addition, community engagement fosters accountability. Regularly interacting with others who are committed to microdosing encourages consistency and discipline. This accountability can help maintain motivation and commitment to the regimen.
On an emotional level, sharing in a collective experience can provide important connection, emotional support and validation. Microdosing can often be very personal and even isolating–especially when friends and family don’t understand it. Belonging and contributing to a community of people who share similar goals and challenges can provide a sense of belonging and emotional support.
In Closing:
The 10 suggestions above are great places to start when looking to take an established microdosing practice to the next level. They help you find new ways to customize your regimen to suit your needs through psychological, physical and nutritional support. The right ones for you will be a personal matter of trial and error that will ultimately lead to a richer, more beneficial practice.
